The idea of risking everything you own on a single bet is nothing new. Plenty of gamblers have thought of it, but how many have actually done it—wagered everything on a single turn of the cards, toss of the dice or spin of the wheel? Well, Ashley Revell is one who has done just that—televised worldwide, no less—and his story is now part of the history of gambling and Las Vegas.
All or Nothing
In early 2004, months before his well publicized wager, Ashley Revell was a pretty ordinary 32-year-old living in London. He was from the County of Kent in South East England, where he had learned to play poker and enjoyed betting on roulette, fancying himself a professional gambler in the making.
One day he was talking casually with a friend and the two hatched the idea of an “all or nothing” wager. In the course of exploring their options, they decided it would make sense to hire a film crew and record the adventure from start to finish. If the big bet didn’t pay out, they could at least sell the videotape for future release.
Over the next several weeks, Revell, the designated punter, set about liquidating all of his possessions. He auctioned off his home furnishings. He sold his house. He sold all of his remaining clothes out the boot of his car. And then he sold his car. He even sold his name, legally changing it to Ashley “Blue Square” Revell, when the U.K. online bookmaker Blue Square agreed to contribute to his betting fund.
In total, Revell raised nearly £80,000 for his single shot at fortune and fame. He then set off for Las Vegas from London with only the clothes on his back and the cash in his pocket … plus friends, his mother and father in tow and a news crew from Sky Channel to witness the event.
Not an Easy Bet to Make
Initially, the wager was going to be made on a roulette table at the Hard Rock Hotel. But when negotiations with casino management broke down, it began to look like the bet was off. Sky producers started rewriting their script as “The Bet Las Vegas Wouldn’t Take.”
Fortunately for all involved, the Plaza Hotel & Casino downtown stepped in and agreed to accept the wager. They recognized the value of all the publicity and offered Revell free use of a suite room as well as a roulette table in the casino where the moment could be videotaped and also broadcast live to viewers over the Sky Network.
On April 11, 2004, Revell approached the Plaza’s roulette table wearing a rented tuxedo. He traded in all of his cash for chips and made a few low-stakes bets as a warm up. In the meantime, Sky viewers were invited to submit their recommendations on how the big bet should be placed—Red or Black?
Not everyone, however, approved of the proceedings. “He’s a naughty boy,” Revell’s father told the media. “I tell my kids they shouldn’t gamble. I’ve got four others and they’re all going to want to go the same way.”
The Moment of Truth
At last it was time for the all-or-nothing bet to be placed. Revell had been considering putting everything on Black, but at the very last minute he changed his mind, swayed by the majority of Sky viewers who preferred Red. Carefully, he pushed his two huge stacks of chips, worth $135,300, on to the field marked Red.
“It all happened so quickly,” said Revell afterwards. “It was spinning before I knew it.” Before the eyes of dozens around the table and millions viewing at home, the ball bounced and clattered over the slotted numbers, finally coming to rest in the one marked “7” … Red … a winner.
The Plaza Casino croupier stacked up Revell’s chips—a cool $270,600. Revell tipped the roulette crew $600 and breathed a big sigh of relief as he cashed in. While the hotel management opened celebratory bottles of champagne, Revell’s father told Reuters News, “I’m still against it. He shouldn’t have done it.”
Revell signed the felt of the roulette table so that it could later be put on display in the hotel lobby. When asked if he had considered doubling up and betting again, the winner replied, “”No, that’s it for me. I don’t want to ride my luck.”
But Ashley Revell didn’t quite lose his itch for risk on that one lucky spin of the wheel. Against his parents’ warnings, he has become a professional poker player in London, still savoring his celebrity and the memory of that one incredibly perfect bet.